Follow @CareerBuilder on Instagram. Show us how you #WorkHappier. Win a GoPro Hero4. More details below!

There's a fairly simple idea that pops into my head just about
everyday I'm sitting in my cube: How can I add more happiness to my day
at work?
According to the Organization for Economic Development
and Cooperation, the average American spends 1,790 working annually.
When you consider that's roughly 30 percent of the time you'll be awake
each year, I hope it becomes clear you should strive to be happy while
you're on the job. You'll eventually spend a giant chunk of your life
working; why not improve those times as much as possible? Why save
happiness for when you leave the office?

Take action and #WorkHappierMuch
like a job search, much like your career development, you must be
active in your pursuit of happiness. You can't just sit and do nothing
but hope you find happiness tomorrow, next week or next year. You have
to go after it.
That's where the idea of #WorkHappier comes in.
When the going gets tough at the office, how do you remain positive?
When things become stale, how do you lift up your spirits and those of
your co-workers?
The actions you take to add happiness to your
workday don't have to be complicated. They can be as easy as saying
thank you to a co-worker who makes your job easier. Working happier can
mean taking a walk when you're out of ideas or simply need a break but
don't think the walk to the vending machine is enough. Even getting out
of the office for lunch with your co-workers will help you #WorkHappier.
#TheMoreYouKnow

Show us what you've got!Now that
you're basically a #WorkHappier expert, we want to see how you add
happiness to your days. Submit a photo on Instagram using that hashtag
before Oct. 16, 2015, and you could win a GoPro Hero4 Session, a pair of
Shure SE215 Sound Isolating Earphones, and more to make your work life
better.

Explore
your surroundings. Try that new place for lunch even if there's a line.
Take a walk and don't follow a route you've taken before.

#TreatYoSelf.
Don't settle for snacks out of the vending machine. Reward yourself
with a gourmet snack after completing a hard task… or just because.

Take your breaks, and use your vacation days. You're given both for a reason. Recharge when you have the opportunity to do so.

Get more sleep. You'll have more energy, better ideas and an improved mood when you go into the office.

Welcome
distractions from time to time. Distractions allow your mind to wander
and they'll often boost your mood. Sometimes, those will be enough to
help you break through a roadblock or solve a complex problem.

To compile the ranking, Glassdoor identified 25 specific jobs with the
highest overall Glassdoor "Job Score," which is based on a five-point
scale. The job score is determined by equally weighing the average
annual base salary shared by US-based employees over the past year,
career opportunities ratings shared over the past year, and number of
open job listings posted to Glassdoor in a three-month period.

"At Glassdoor, we know that there are two factors that job seekers
consider most when determining where to work: earning potential and
career opportunities," says Scott Dobroski, Glassdoor's career trends
analyst. "Because of this, we wanted to factor both of these into what
it means to have a 'best job.'"

Dobroski says Glassdoor also takes into consideration the number of job
openings because it is an indicator of employment opportunity. "The more
jobs available, the better their chances to get hired," he says.

On the list
there's a heavy concentration of tech jobs and jobs within the
healthcare industry, Dobroski notes. "Both of these industries are known
for experiencing tremendous growth over the past few years, leading to a
high demand-for-hire and compensation for employees," he explains.

To find out what it's like to have the best job in America right now,
Business Insider talked to Jeffrey A. Katz, a family practice physician
assistant and president and chair of the board of the American Academy
of Physician Assistants:

Why physician assistant is the best job this year

1/9

"Now
is the moment for PAs. It's our time, and the overwhelming recognition
by multiple sources including Glassdoor in just the past year shows that
being a PA is the best of all worlds.
PAs get to do what they love — practice medicine. This is a career
for those who have a passion for caring for others, who want to affect
change in healthcare, and, ultimately, who want to positively influence
lives and heal.
In addition to accomplishing meaningful healthcare, career
flexibility and work-life balance are the hallmarks of the PA
profession. A typical PA may practice in two to three specialties
throughout his or her career, making PAs uniquely versatile in today's
healthcare industry.
The PA schedule can also be family friendly, and PAs have more
control over their work environments — which leads to higher levels of
professional satisfaction.
We are also evolving healthcare and continue to be agents of change.
PAs across the country and AAPA work daily with state and federal
lawmakers to improve scope-of-practice laws, remove barriers that stand
in the way of our ability to deliver care, and, ultimately, improve
patient access to care.
And our healthcare system continues to need PAs. According to
healthcare search firm Merritt Hawkins, demand for PAs increased more
than 300% from 2011 to 2014."Read more "What it's Like to Have the Best Job in America Right Now"

Taking some time between jobs also gives your brain a chance to take a
break, to process leaving your old job (which can be pretty emotional,
whether you loved or hated it), and to prepare for all the new
challenges to come, adds Sara Sutton Fell, CEO and founder of FlexJobs.

If you're starting a new job, here are 13 things you should do in the interim to set yourself up for success:

1. Get organized.

1/13

Minimize the stress of your first week in a new job by taking time to organize your personal life.
"Any projects around the house that have been nagging at the back of
your mind? Now's the time to get them done," says Ryan Kahn, the founder
of The Hired Group and creator of the best-selling How To Get Hired
online course.

2. Schedule appointments and run errands.

2/13

Miriam
Salpeter, job search coach, owner of Keppie Careers, and author of
"Social Networking for Career Success" and "100 Conversations for Career
Success," says your break between jobs is the perfect time to schedule
doctor appointments and deliveries that require you to be home, and to
run any errands that may be difficult to get done once you start your
new job.

3. Disconnect.

3/13

"Take
advantage of not having to be reachable during the day, and stop
checking your email or looking at Facebook for an afternoon or two,"
says Sutton Fell. "This gives you a chance to reset your brain."
Instead of staring at a screen for hours on end — which you'll
probably have to do as soon as you start your new job — pick up a book
you've been dying to read, or go take an exercise class you've been
wanting to try.

1 in 5 employers has unknowingly asked one of these questions

We already know that interviewers and hiring managers can ask pretty strange questions, but did you know that some are asking ones that are downright illegal?

In a recent CareerBuilder survey, 1 in 5 (20%) of hiring managers
indicated that they have asked a question in a job interview that they
later found was illegal. Hiring managers should brush up on the
following questions, because by asking them they are unknowingly putting
themselves at risk for legal action.

One third of employers indicated they didn't know the following questions were illegal to ask in an interview setting:

What is your religious affiliation?

What is your political affiliation?

How old are you?

Are you pregnant?

What is your race, color or ethnicity?

Are you disabled?

Are you married?

Are you in debt?

Do you have children or plan to?

Do you socially drink or smoke?

While some of the above questions might seem obvious not to ask, others
are more tricky. With some questions, the legality is all in the
wording. For example, asking if a candidate has ever been convicted of a
crime is okay, but asking about his or her arrest record is not. Or
while it's okay to ask if a job seeker is legally eligible for
employment in the U.S., it's not legal to openly ask, "Are you a U.S.
citizen?"

The nationwide survey was commissioned by CareerBuilder and conducted
online by Harris Poll from November 4 to December 2, 2014. More than
2,100 hiring and human resource managers across numerous industries were
polled.

Among the top ten occupations more prone to mixing business with pleasure, two are in agriculture.

Agricultural workers, who help farmers maintain crops and livestock, marry others with the same job 27% of the time — and agricultural managers, such as farmers and ranchers, do so 20% of the time.

Other occupations like physicians and surgeons, gaming service workers, and lodging managers also top the list.

Mike Nudelman/Business Insider

Dan Kopf, author of the Priceonomics analysis, notes the high rate of agriculture workers and managers comingling may be attributed to the less diverse mix of occupations available to people in rural communities compared to urban ones.

Jerry Miller, founder of niche dating site FarmersOnly.com, says it all comes down to lifestyle compatibility. Many farmers he has talked to say they work seven days a week, 365 days a year. "How many people in regular business could relate to that?" he asks.

"Each occupation has a distinct way of life that goes with it," McNulty says. "They all involve long hours, at least during certain seasons of the year, that may result in an inability to participate in the mainstream social activities of one's peers."

This may make it difficult for people in these occupations to meet others outside of work.

"It may feel more workable to marry someone who shares the same kind of schedule, rather than having to constantly explain the demands of one's position to a partner or spouse who works in a different profession," McNulty says. "The fact that partners hold the same type of position may mean that they can relate to each other's compassion for work or the challenges one another face."

While there are lots of benefits for spouses who share the same way of life, McNulty cautions anyone looking for a spouse with the same job about the pitfalls.

"Even when they do have the same job, they still will have individual differences, which will result in those all too common perpetual problems that come with being married," he explains. "Partners must learn to manage such problems over time, through understanding and compromise and putting their relationship first. If partners enter into marriage believing their shared way of life makes them exempt from conflict, they will be in for a big surprise."

It's worth noting that the Census Bureau tracks 500 professions, and data on same-sex marriages was not available for this analysis.

INTERVIEWING AND AUDITIONING AREN'T SO DIFFERENT. LEARN HOW ACTING TECHNIQUES CAN HELP YOU ACE YOUR INTERVIEW.

While pursuing my passion for acting, I've had to constantly face a situation feared by most actors: the audition. In order to be successful, actors audition a lot; often anywhere from once a week to multiple times a day. Just like with interviewing, auditioning is often terrifying the first several times, and then it becomes (a little) less intimidating. You learn how to present your best self under intense pressure and constant competition. Auditioning takes diligent preparation, battling nerves and dealing with rejection – the same things job seekers experience when going in for an interview.

Due to the similarities between auditioning and interviewing, you could perhaps learn a thing or two about preparing for an interview from a seasoned actor. That's why we chatted with Aaron Walters, a CareerBuilder employee who has more than 15 years of experience in theater, television, radio and film (he recently was featured on Season one of "Chicago P.D." and appeared in a national ad campaign for Bud Light). Here's what he had to say about the parallels between auditioning and interviewing, along with my takeaways for applying acting technique to the job search.

CB: How has auditioning prepared you to deliver an effective interview?AW: I think that auditioning forces you to think on your feet, because you're never sure what the outcome will be – especially if you're paired with a complete stranger (which is usually the case). Don't get tripped up by your interviewer's questions or reactions, just as you wouldn't by your scene partner's choices. Remain in the moment, so you don't become stuck within your own narrative in an interview. Simply put, in an audition or interview you must listen and respond. Your potential employer may be vetting for additional positions besides the one you're interviewing for, so be prepared to pick up on potential cues.

Takeaway: Listen to the interviewer. Respond in the moment to what the interviewer is giving you – if you become nervous you'll shut down and won't hear a word. You may be missing important information that you can refer back to or relay your insight on during the interview.

CB: What are some acting-based classes a job candidate might take to improve their interviewing skills?AW: I would 100 percent suggest taking an on-camera course. You learn a significant amount about your natural tendencies in regards to body language, etc. Stuff that frankly may not be the easiest to look at. Suddenly you realize your voice is not as cool as you thought it was in your head, but being aware of how you're selling yourself in an interview or an audition is a crucial first step.

Takeaway: Self-awareness is key. When you see yourself in play-black mode, you can learn so much about how others may perceive you. Take a class with a group, instead of just preparing within the vacuum of your own living room, so you can receive honest feedback on how you're presenting yourself. The camera does not lie and will accurately reflect your posture, the confidence of your voice, your physical habits, etc. All of these tendencies can positively or negatively impact an interview.

CB: What parallels have you found between interviewing and auditioning?AW: One parallel that definitely exists in auditioning or interviewing is that the only obstacle standing in your way of being successful is yourself. There's no one actively rooting against you to not get the job or land the part … it's actually quite the opposite. In most of my experiences, I felt potentially able to make the day of the person across the table. This is true whether it's a casting director or a prospective employer. They may be exhausted of looking for the perfect candidate as much as you are in the job search. They want you to succeed.

Takeaway: Alter your perspective for the better. The way that you perceive yourself in an interview setting is tantamount to success. If you walk into an interview scenario not ready to put your best foot forward, the interview may be over before you answer the first question. Convince yourself that your specific skills are going to benefit the hiring manager. In many cases your opinion of yourself will influence the interviewer's perception of you. Don't be overconfident, but assert your value confidently.

Biggest demand is in prenatal genetics

National Society of Genetic Counselors
Genetic counseling is one of the fastest growing professions in the
market today. However, many people don't know what exactly genetic
counseling is, or why it's experiencing such growth. According to the
National Society of Genetic Counselors website, genetic counseling is:
"the process of helping people understand and adapt to the medical,
psychological and familial implications of genetic contributions to
disease."

This includes responsibilities like:

· Interpretation of family and medical histories to assess the chance of disease occurrence or recurrence.
· Education about inheritance, testing, management, prevention, resources and research.
· Counseling to promote informed choices and adaptation to the risk or condition.

What kind of person do you need to be to get into this field?

Genetic counseling is a field of science, and you should be prepared to
perform rigorous scientific studies. If you don't like science, it's
probably not for you. It requires a Master in Science degree, which can
be earned from one of 31 accredited programs in the United States. A
research project, or thesis, needs to be completed to attain the degree
as well.

Yet genetic counseling also requires strong interpersonal skills. Most
of the time, future genetic counselors are required to shadow a licensed
genetic counselor to get a sense of how they'll be interacting with
patients. Again, even though this is a science degree, genetic
counselors are highly focused on their interactions with patients. It's
not just about getting the information to patients -- it's also how
you're delivering the information.

What are the roles these genetic counselors will play?

With medical technology advancing at such a rapid pace, and the focus on
healthcare stronger than ever, it's easy to see why people would need
genetic counselors. Jennifer Malone Hoskovec, President for the National
Society of Genetic Counselors, sees the field growing for a number of
reasons. Typically only used in pre-natal or pediatric settings, she
believes the field will grow exponentially with the increased knowledge
of genetics.

"I see genetics in general as being a sub specialty of every specialty
of medicine," she told AOL Jobs. "I see them going off into eye
disorders, neurology, partnering with physicians across the health
spectrum."

But the growth will probably not stop there. As genetic testing becomes
more powerful and more accurate, genetic counselors may have to guide
other areas.

"There's an emerging role for genetic counselors
in policy and insurance," she says. "How do we write policy on genetic
tests? They're very expensive, and knowledge helps. Policy, healthcare
insurance healthcare, have very specific knowledge, and I see genetic
counseling infiltrating different fields."

As the technology advances, and becomes a more prevalent indicator of
risks for disorders, genetic counselors will have to be trusted to
advise us on our best moves.

"We are learning so much more about the genetic basis of disease,"
Hoskovec says. "Historically, we knew more about rare disorders. Now, we
know more about common disorders and genetic disorders. With emerging
technology we need people who can translate."

College-bound students take notes.

New data from College Scorecard, a website created by the US Department of Education
that compares colleges and universities in a number of categories,
reveals the median salary earned by graduates 10 years after attending
their alma maters.

It's important to note that College Scorecard
analyzed earnings data of students who received federal financial aid.
We narrowed the list of schools down further to only include those with
graduation rates of 85% or higher to ensure we were looking at
degree-earning graduates.

Perennial favorites like MIT, Harvard, and Stanford top the list.
Perhaps more surprising, schools like Massachusetts-based Babson College
(No. 3) and liberal-arts school Lafayette College (No. 18) also rank
highly. Meanwhile, the high-paying fields of business and engineering
are among the most popular courses of study at these schools.

It's quite intriguing.

Employees in the early stages of their careers want to be taught new
skills, and they want to maintain those skills with continuing
education.

A new survey by Robert Half Finance & Accounting
has found that entry-level and mid-level employees are more focused on
building new skills than their bosses. The company collected online
responses from more than 2,500 finance and accounting professionals in
the US.

According to the survey, 64% of finance and accounting professionals
said the "chance to gain new skills is a critical consideration when
making a career move."

Half of respondents also reported that they were very concerned about
keeping their skills current over the next few years, while 38% said
they were only "somewhat concerned" about the same level of skill
building.

The company's research discovered that a higher value is placed on
learning and keeping skills current for those employees who are still
early in their careers.

When evaluating a new job opportunity, how important is the ability to gain new skills in that role?

Photo Credit: Business Insider

How concerned are you about keeping your skills current in the next three to five years?

Photo Credit: Business Insider

According to Paul McDonald, senior executive director for Robert Half,
"Workers at every career stage want to keep their skills both current
and relevant. In today's competitive hiring market, a robust
professional development program can be an appealing benefit to would-be
new hires."

McDonald points out that training programs also are a powerful retention
tool. "Our company's research has found a lack of advancement
opportunities is a top reason good employees quit, trailing only
inadequate compensation," he said. "A company's best performers are
often the first to leave if their employer does not provide ample
training and development to help them grow professionally."

Since CFOs and other members of upper-level management have already
built useful skill-sets needed to perform their jobs, it does make sense
that their employees would be more eager to learn those same skills in
order to quickly advance their careers.

Here's how to make sure you keep the spark alive during working hours.

It may seem like job burnout is only prevalent in workers in the mid-to-late stages of their careers.
That isn't the case, however. Burnout specialist Ben Fanning says it's becoming more likely that you will reach a point of burnout at an earlier stage in your career.
Luckily, he says it's avoidable if you're aware of the habits of workers who are suffering from job burnout.

Your ultimate guide on what NOT to say on your first day.

What you say during your first day on the job can mean the difference
between a lasting relationship with your new employer or a dash in the
pan for your career.

"If you say something that's off, it sets the tone, and that could be
the reason for you to be let go in your first three months," says J.T.
O'Donnell, a career and workplace expert, founder of career advice site,
CAREEREALISM.com, and author of "Careerealism: The Smart Approach to a Satisfying Career."

"It's natural to want to be liked — to impress and fit in quickly,"
explains workplace confidence expert Michelle Kerrigan. "However, many
try too hard, and talk too much when they should be listening."

1) "At my last company..." or "In my last job..."
No one likes a know-it-all.

Rosalinda Oropeza Randall, etiquette and civility expert and author of "Don't Burp in the Boardroom,"
suggests walking into the new job with energy, but she also recommends a
splash of humility. "Not the timid, reserved definition, but with an
attitude of learning — not knowing-it-all."

2) "When do I get a raise?"
"How about getting through the ninety-day probationary period first," Randall suggests.

3) "BTW, I have to leave early on Fridays."

"If you hadn't talked about that prior to joining, landing in the
new job and suddenly dropping these kinds of bombs on them really shows a
lack of communication and respect on your part," O'Donnell says.

"They're expecting you to just come in and be there and be present, be eager, be ready and willing to learn."

4) "Who should I meet and who should I avoid around here?"

A question like this is basically asking coworkers to gossip —
that's a career killer, Randall says. And one person's beef with another
coworker is their business only and could have developed over matters
you have no idea about.

"Take time to meet and engage in small talk with each person in your department," Randall suggests. "Judge for yourself."

5) That's not how I learned how to do it."
Keep the conversation positive, O'Donnell advises. Employers don't want
to hear what you can't do —they want to hear that you are open-minded
and ready to learn to do it their way.

"That can sometimes slip out because people want to be able to show
their expertise and they think, 'That's why I got hired,'" O'Donnell
explains. "But if you don't frame it properly, it can really sound
negative and critical of the organization that's just hired you."

6) "What's the holiday party like? Do we get bonuses or a ham or something?"
"You are the ham," Randall says. "Why don't you just wait and see when
holiday time rolls around. By the way, what will you do if you go home
empty-handed?"

7) "What d'ya have to do around here to get an upgrade on this company phone?"
If your company phone isn't the newest or shiniest, chances are your
coworkers' aren't either. Asking for an upgrade will undoubtedly
alienate some people who will question if you think you deserve it more.

"Learn to deal with what you are given. If the company is
technology-deficient, has older desks, chairs, or office décor, don't
allow or use it to determine how you get the job done," Randall says.

8) "That makes no sense."
You may come across a way of doing things in your new company that you
don't understand or agree with, but framing it this way makes you seem
like a Negative Nancy or — even worse — just plain dumb.

"Get some feedback before you make this automatic assumption," O'Donnell
suggests. Instead of saying the policy doesn't make sense to you, ask
why the company does it this way, the history behind it, and try to
understand the policy from the organization's point of view.

9) "My prior boss was clueless."
Maybe your previous boss was an idiot. But negative complaints and
comparisons are rarely welcomed, Kerrigan points out, and these kinds of
statements can be harmful to your professional brand and how you're
perceived. You're the one that's coming off as clueless.

"Your brand is your trademark, and it's built by consistency — good and
bad," she says. "Once established as bad, it's hard to change
perception. You need to build and maintain a positive brand — to be
memorable for the good."

10) "I'd like to invite you all to my church this Sunday."
Unless it has something to do with your job, you might consider bringing
the "never discuss politics or religion at the dinner table" rule to
your desk as well.

"These discussion aren't generally well received in a work environment,"
Randall says. "You may find coworkers shying away from you as Fridays
approach."

11) "In my opinion ..."
As a general rule of thumb, make "Ask, don't tell," your personal mantra for the day, O'Donnell suggests.

Unless asked, it's better to keep your opinion to yourself and see what your employers have to say about things first.

12) "What's the employee discount like?!"
Defer these kinds of questions to the policies and procedures manual, Randall says.

"Inquiring and asking for perks is so 'me, me me' — an unfavorable trait."

13) "Hey Donna, working hard or hardly working?!"
First of all, lame.

Second of all, while you may see other coworkers ribbing each other and think it's fine to join in — don't.

"They earned that level of casualness with each other ... you are not there yet," O'Donnell says.

"In the beginning, even though it may feel a little buttoned up for you,
you've got to be respectful, you've got to be polite, you've got to
prove to people that you're there to do a great job."

There's no guarantee this will lead you to the right job, but it can help steer you in the right direction.

We all have to start at square one -- but taking that first step toward a career is harder for some than others.

In fact, choosing the right path can be daunting for young new college
grads who are worried they don't have the right attitude or skills to
pursue certain careers — or are unsure of what they're really passionate
about or what they value most.

To help, Enhancv created an infographic that connects 10 common jobs with the personality traits that successful professionals in each field typically possess.

There's no guarantee this will lead you to the right job, but it can help steer you in the right direction:

What makes a great salesperson in 2015, especially as technology continues to become part of the job?

The sales profession has evolved over the years and looks different
than it did even a decade ago, let alone 20 or 30 years ago. Amidst
increased competition in the marketplace, salespeople today have to step
up to the plate and accept increased responsibilities or get left
behind. So, what makes a great salesperson in 2015, especially as
technology continues to become part of the job? I've outlined what I
believe are the top five traits:

1.They know client needs inside out.
Don't picture a door-to-door salesperson making the same sales pitch
over and over again, unaware of the audience he or she is selling to.
Today, you must dig far beneath the surface to unveil what a client
really needs. A great salesperson listens to understand a
client's needs. They will investigate what the client's pain points are,
what areas the client finds challenging and what keeps the client up at
night. They become experts at solving problems by researching their
clients and prospects, learning about their industry and business, and
identifying challenges they are currently facing — and also ones they
expect to encounter in the future.2.They take advantage of training opportunities. Great
software salespeople are acutely aware of how competitive it is in the
marketplace today. That's why they take every opportunity to become
subject-matter experts by familiarizing themselves with the products so
they can speak intelligently and propose meaningful solutions. As a recent BloombergBusiness article states: "Software sales pitches are becoming a lot less about golf and a lot more about products."3.They leverage technology, but maintain a personal touch.
Salespeople today have seemingly endless resources and top-of-the-line
technology at their fingertips ready to assist them with a sale. While
that is a great benefit in terms of empowering them to have intelligent
conversations backed by real-time data and insights, they know that
driving sales is not just about the tools and technology — customers
still want a human element behind the sales pitch.4.They're organized. As
the sales profession has become more complex, great salespeople are
able to keep up and position themselves to stay a step ahead. How? For
starters, investing time upfront to know all of their accounts and store
all of their information in a trusted CRM tool is key to setting
themselves up for long-term success.5.They don't sell — they advise. The best salespeople don't "sell."That
may sound like a contradiction at the surface level — after all, aren't
they considered successful only when they make sales and reach their
quotas? But that is an archaic way of thinking today; it doesn't take
into account the client's or prospect's best interests. Great
salespeople won't introduce themselves and in the same breath tell the
clients what they need. Instead, they become trusted advisers that
clients can call when they're looking for advice or best practices.
This
is an exciting time to be in software sales, and it's an especially
exciting time to be at CareerBuilder as we continue the rapid growth of
our global HR Software as a Service operation, and we want great people
to join our team.

Are you ready to graduate to the next step of a growing career? Or did your major put you in a tough spot?

While higher education once encouraged optimism and passion as
deciding factors in choosing a major, the Great Recession made a lot of
experts in education and staffing rethink how we prepare students for
the workforce. Especially when it's become clear that hard-to-fill
positions are stagnating our country's economic growth.

"The market is at a unique inflection point, and we need to make sure that we're educating workers to have 21st century skills for 21st century jobs," says Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder and co-author of The Talent Equation.
"While it's encouraging to see accelerated participation growth in
STEM-related college programs, the slowdown in overall degree
completions – especially those tied to developing strong communications
and critical-thinking skills – is concerning. Nearly half of employers
say they currently have job vacancies but can't find skilled candidates
to fill them. We need to do a better job informing students and workers
about which fields are in-demand and growing, and provide them with
access to affordable education and training, so the journey to a
high-skill job is an achievable one regardless of their socioeconomic
situation."

With that in mind, new research from CareerBuilder and Economic Modeling Specialists Intl shows
that nearly 500,000 more degrees were awarded in 2014 than in 2010, an
11 percent increase. What specializations and opportunities should
future graduates keep in mind as the next stage of their career begins?
What majors fare fading fast? Here are the college degrees growing and
declining post-recession.

College degrees with the most growthMore
than half of the top 10 broad programs leading the U.S. in degree
completion (2010-2014) were in STEM fields, known for the collection of
roles in science, technology, engineering and math. Those college
degrees with the most growth include:

Avoid letting your anxiety get the best of you with these seven pre-interview tactics.

You finally landed an interview for your ideal job. Now you find
yourself in the candidate holding tank five minutes before it all goes
down. Your insides are churning, heart-pounding, palms sweaty -- and
your brain seems incapable of reading its own resume. You tell yourself
to breathe, but nothing seems to help. Your name is called. The
interview is over before it began.

Anxiety is an interview
killer...and a common problem. Job seekers have every right to be
anxious about an impending interview. After all, the competition is
often killer and your livelihood could be at stake. But the last thing a
hiring manager wants is for you to be a bundle of nerves.
Avoid letting your anxiety get the best of you with these seven pre-interview tactics.

1. Have a game planA
day or two before your interview, scope out the company building. If
you're driving, find parking and learn exactly where you'll need to be
the day of the interview. On the day of, give yourself a generous amount
of time to arrive at the interview location and get settled. Note: This
doesn't mean showing up to the actual interview an hour early.
Use this time to take a walk to soothe your nerves or review your
answers to potential questions. Realizing there are factors prior to the
big interview that are completely within your control can help you gain
your composure.2. Engage in conversationThe day of
your interview, surround yourself with friends or family who make you
feel good about yourself. By engaging with people in positive
conversation throughout the day you'll be warmed up by the time you
reach your interview. A positive mood is infectious, and warming up your
voice beforehand will also help you articulate effectively when it's
time to answer questions.3. Boost your moodCreate a
playlist of songs that pump you up or give you confidence. If listening
to "Eye of The Tiger" on repeat makes you feel like you can accomplish
anything, then go for it. Or try listening to some stand-up comedy on
your way to the interview. A good belly laugh can ease anxiety and fear along with relieving stress.4. Fuel upThe
cliché is true: Eating a healthy breakfast kick-starts your brain and
elevates concentration and productivity throughout the morning. Include a
"brain food" like oatmeal or fruit in your morning meal and you'll have
even more of a mental edge when you're preparing for your big moment.5. Get movingExercising
a few hours before the interview will release endorphins that relieve
stress. Plus, it will give you some time to visualize yourself in
complete control of every single interview question while you conquer
the elliptical machine.6. VisualizeVisualizing
achievement can have a positive impact on the outcome of your
performance. Humans stimulate the same portion of the brain when they
visualize an action as when they are actually performing an action. So,
through use of positive imagery it's possible to prime your brain for a successful interview.7. Demystify the processIt
sounds cheesy, but the interviewer may be just as nervous as you are.
He or she may be understaffed and under pressure to fill a position
quickly. Remember, however, you were chosen for an interview after
proving yourself to be a viable candidate. Don't view the hiring manager
as the enemy – or as omnipotent. Instead, see him or her as an equal.
Demystifying the process can aid in soothing your interview anxiety.
Interviewing for any position can be a burdensome task. But don't fret,
if you find yourself feeling overwhelmed before your interview, it is
possible to re-gain control over your nerves. Set aside ample time to
prepare beforehand to build confidence.

Because you should feel prepared when the tables turn.

By Dylan Roach and Jacquelyn Smith
You're in the hot seat. You've just answered a dozen questions about
yourself and successfully explained why you'd make a great addition to
the team. You crushed it and you're feeling good.

But then the interviewer turns the tables and asks one final question: "So do you have any questions for me?"

You say, "no, not that I can think of," or ask something that could have
easily been answered with a quick Google search — and just like that,
everything falls apart.

EMSI analyzed the food manufacturing industry in each state, as well as in the150 largest metropolitan areas around the country.

When we think of regions where the economy is driven by food, most of
us think of cornfields in Iowa, apple orchards in Washington and dairy
farms in California. But a lot of the economic activity around food
actually occurs after it is picked from the ground or milked from a cow.
Food manufacturing, which turns livestock and agricultural products
into other products for consumption, is responsible for Green Bay's
cheese and Seattle's coffee. This industry made up nearly 1.5 million
wage-and-salary jobs in the United States in 2014—about three times the
number of crop production jobs—making it a significant employer.
But where are food manufacturing jobs located? Where do they make up
the largest share of local economies? Where are food manufacturing
earnings the highest? The lowest? (Hint: Earnings have a
wide range!)
To answer these questions, EMSI analyzed the food manufacturing industry in each state, as well as in the
150 largest metropolitan areas around the country.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW AN INTERACTIVE MAP

By metro

In
the metro map above, large bubble sizes indicate high job counts,
showing that food manufacturing has a significant presence in the local
workforce. But since job counts tend to favor the largest metros, they
don't always produce interesting analyses. Chicago, New York, and Los
Angeles have the largest food manufacturing workforces, despite the fact
that food manufacturing only accounts for about 1 percent of jobs in
these metros.
But take a look at the blue bubbles, which indicate that food
manufacturing has a high share of the local economy. These metros have
lower job counts because their overall workforces are smaller, but food
manufacturing is nonetheless important to the region.
Let's take a closer look at food manufacturing in these five metros.
Here are some takeaways from this data:

The Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers metro has the highest
share of food manufacturing out of all 150 metros. Out of the five
metros with high shares, Fayetteville also has the highest job count in
this industry.

Visalia-Porterville is the only metro out of
these five where the food manufacturing industry has seen significant
growth in the last five years. In fact, in three of the five metros,
this industry is declining.

Despite the "Cheese Heads," Green
Bay's largest employing subindustry in food manufacturing is not cheese
manufacturing, although it is very close behind (1,858 jobs in animal
slaughtering, 1,829 jobs in cheese manufacturing).

In Modesto
and Visalia-Porterville, food manufacturing jobs pay on average higher
earnings than the average for all industries in these regions (average
earnings per job* for all industries in Modesto: $52,593; in
Visalia-Porterville: $45,269).

By state

Food manufacturing has the greatest share of state economies in the
Midwest and the South, although it is also prominent in Alaska, Delaware
and Idaho. But, in all honesty, food manufacturing doesn't make up a
huge share of any state's economy (Arkansas' share is the highest at 3.7
percent).
Still, half of the states that have higher shares of their economies in
food manufacturing (appearing in blue in the above map) are also among
the states where the average earnings per job for food manufacturing is
higher than the average earnings overall. These states include Idaho,
Iowa, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Kansas. In some cases—
Idaho,
for example—the combined higher-than-average pay and large share of the
economy may be enough to indicate that food manufacturing is a driver
industry for these states.
Here's the list of all 13 states where food manufacturing jobs pay
better than the average earnings. (Keep in mind that, in contrast, food
manufacturing jobs pay worse than average in 37 states):
Since food manufacturing jobs are adding higher-than-average wages to
these economies, it's great news that this industry is growing in all 13
of these states (even if, in the case of Iowa, it is growing only
slightly). In Vermont, food manufacturing jobs have grown a whopping 27
percent, which is exciting news since the industry pays on average
$2,600 more per job than average.
New Hampshire has the highest average food manufacturing earnings per
job out of all states at $67,358. And they should count themselves
lucky, especially in comparison to Mississippi's $36,707 average
earnings per job in food manufacturing—the lowest in the nation.
*Average earnings per job includes wages and salaries, plus
supplemental compensation such as bonuses, stock options, and
contributions to 401(k) plans, for all jobs in a specific metro or
industry. Because EMSI includes non-wage/salary compensation, EMSI's
industry earnings numbers should not be treated as "average salary."
They are generally higher than average salary by industry numbers that
may come from other sources.

Body language experts say the trick
is to distract your mind and focus on things that don't make you
nervous. Here are five tricks for doing just that.

There are endless telltale signs of nervousness at work or in a job
interview: profuse sweating, rapid blinking, stammering, and the list
goes on. But the good news is, there are ways to combat those signals
and "hide" your anxiety.
Body language experts say the trick is to distract your mind and focus on things that don't make you nervous.
Here are five tricks for doing just that:

1. Recall a memory that inspires positive emotions.

One simple way to
quell feelings of nervousness is to momentarily transport yourself to a
time in which you felt self-assured and at ease. You can do this just
before entering the room, or during the interview itself.

"Think of a time on the job, or in your personal life, when you
experienced a success ... Notice how you feel, tell yourself that story,
feel those emotions and merge those positive emotions with the new
story of your job interview success," says Patti Wood, body language
expert, coach, and author of "Snap: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language, and Charisma."

"We create and experience stories in the emotional right hemisphere of
our brain," she explains. "When we recall and retell these stories, we
re-experience the feelings that accompany them. By using this merging
technique, you can bring positive emotions and success into any
situation."

2. Create a secret gesture that corresponds to positive experience.

To take trick No. 1 one step further, Wood suggests creating your own
personal gesture that's associated with a positive experience you've had
in your life. (This works well if you don't have a specific memory in
mind to think back to.)

Wood says she once worked with a client who couldn't think of a positive
scenario that would help him relax during a job interview, so she told
him to recall the emotions he felt during an activity or situation he
enjoyed — in this case, sailing.

Mustering up these positive emotions, they worked to create a body
movement — placing his hand on the side of his leg — that would jog his
memory of the contentment and confidence he felt while sailing.

The next time he felt nervous during a job interview, briefly placing
his hand on his leg activated those positive feelings, she says.

Getty

3. Silently repeat a mantra.

Another way to calm yourself is to silently repeat a personal mantra,
says Dr. Lillian Glass, behavior analyst, body language expert, and
author of "The Body Language of Liars." A pacifying message will
works well when you're wrapped up in your own anxiety. "You can tell
yourself to relax, that everything will be just fine," she explains.

Cater to your own suspense-driven emotions and conceptualize a message
that works best, whether it's more soothing or upbeat. When you're
feeling overwhelmed, silent reassurance — whether it's that you will
accomplish your goals, or just that you'll get through this stressful
situation — will bring your mind back to a more tranquil state.

4. Be interested, not interesting.

One major flaw people make while trying to ensure a good first
impression — during a job interview or otherwise — is trying too hard to
appear interesting, while disregarding what the other person has to say.

"Be interestedin what the other person is saying," says Glass. "Focus on being interested, not interesting."

Once you stop obsessing over what intelligent or witty thing to say
next, and actually concentrate on the conversation at hand (not just
your end), you'll have an easier time navigating the discussion, and
less of a chance of getting lost in your own thoughts — which can make
anyone extremely nervous.

There's a difference between sounding crabby in a 4:30pm meeting occasionally and being a habitual crabapple

When you're a kid, you don't yet have the tools that help process
actions and your emotions – tools like maturity, patience or looking at
the context of a situation. And apparently for a lot of adults, maturity
and patience still prove difficult to master: three in four employees
(77 percent) have witnessed some type of childish behavior among
colleagues in the workplace, according to a new CareerBuilder study.

Letting emotions get the best of you
Everybody has a bad day, but these are the kind of actions that create
toxic workplaces and add drama to your career—none of which will
position you as Employee of the Month. So what bad behaviors are
standing out to your boss? When asked which child-like behaviors they've
witnessed colleagues displaying in the workplace, workers gave the
following answers:
1.Whine: 55 percent
2.Pout over something that didn't go his/her way: 46 percent
3.Tattle on another co-worker: 44 percent
4.Make a face behind someone's back: 35 percent
5.Form a clique: 32 percent
6.Play a prank on another co-worker: 36 percent
7.Start a rumor about a co-worker: 30 percent
8.Storm out of the room: 29 percent
9.Throw a tantrum: 27 percent
10.Refuse to share resources with others: 23 percent

Bad habits for a bad career
None of those behaviors will make your co-workers admire you more, nor
get you closer to a promotion. In fact, they may even act as red flags
in your career path. An earlier 2015 CareerBuilder survey among
employers found that some specific adolescent behaviors can have a
negative impact on an employee's chances of being promoted, including:

Negativity:
A majority of employers (62 percent) say they are less likely to
promote employees who have a negative or pessimistic attitude (whining,
pouting, etc.).

Vulgar language: More than half of employers (51
percent) consider vulgar language an indication that an employee is not
ready for promotion.

Gossip: Nearly half of employers (44
percent) say they would think twice before moving an employee who
participates in office gossip up the ranks.

Sloppiness:
Employees who do not clean up after themselves can hurt their chances
for a promotion in the eyes of 36 percent of employers.

Real-life drama and workplace tantrumsThere's
a difference between sounding crabby in a 4:30pm meeting occasionally
and being a habitual crabapple. When asked to name specific immature or
adolescent behaviors they have seen at work, employers reported the
following observations of one or more employees:

Company owner threw tantrums, yelled and slammed doors when he didn't get his way.

Employee hid to get away from duties and work responsibility.

Employee intentionally set up a co-worker to get him/her in trouble.

Employee ate other employees' food from the company refrigerator.

Employee blocked parking spots to prevent other employees from parking closer to the front door.

Employee gossiped about all of his direct reports, then pretended to be their advocate.

Employee constantly pulled up inappropriate content on her cell phone and showed it to her "clique."

Employee went to lunch and never came back.

"Some
degree of what we may consider 'adolescent' conduct can be harmless,
enabling employees to let off some steam and even promote a sense of
camaraderie in the office," says Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources
officer of CareerBuilder. "But there's a fine line between innocent fun
and inappropriate behavior. Actions like spreading rumors, 'tattling,'
and forming cliques to exclude others can be perceived as mean-spirited,
bullying and even harassment." Leave the drama for your favorite TV
shows and focus on your work and having professional relationships—your
career will thank you.

Some days, everything seems to go wrong from
the moment you hit the snooze button. Here are four tried-and-true ways
to turn a bad morning around.

Some days, it's a struggle to find the energy to push the snooze
button, let alone get out of bed. Other days, though you think you've
got it all together, you arrive at work and realize you forgot your
headphones, your morning coffee… or your laptop. And on those "I can't even…"
days, you step on said headphones, spill your coffee all over your new
white shirt, or face the "blue screen of death" as you open up your
computer.

1. Clear your head. OK, first things first: Step awayfrom your desk or work area.
Pry your keys off that keyboard or phone screen, and head to the
nearest exit. Use the 20 minutes or so you'd normally spend surfing the
Internet and instead, get outside and enjoy some fresh air with a walk
around the block. (Studies have shown even 20 minutes of exercise like walking can boost happiness, reduce risk of disease and improve memory). Practice your breathing techniques while walking (aka breathwalking)
– and actually reap the benefits of meditation while getting your
circulation going and your mind off of the fact that your Pop-Tart
landed in a puddle just minutes earlier.
Can't get outside? Walk around your office, or take three minutes and meditate at your desk before you step back into reality. The benefits may last you all day long.2. Laugh. Sometimes, on a bad day, you aren't sure whether to laugh or cry. And while it's true that sometimes you may just need a good cry, it's not always easy toopen
the floodgates while surrounded by co-workers. Something you can –do –
without usually getting too many raised eyebrows – is laugh. Laughing is
almost always guaranteed to get you out of your current slump, it helps
to put things in perspective, and it not only costs you nothing – but
also has major stress relief benefits.
It even may be contagious: If you find something funny (and
work-appropriate) that gets you back on your A-game, why not spread the
love and share it with colleagues to give them a boost? Try Louis CK talking about how everything is amazing for a chuckle and some quick perspective on why things aren't always as bad as we think. 3. Do something nice for others. You
don't have to be the person sticking Post-It Notes on people's arms on
the morning train commute that say "You're looking sharp today!" – but
then, you don't not have to be, either. Post-It Notes and
invasion of personal space not your thing? You're in luck: There are
many other simple but meaningful ways to improve the day of those around
you – and it's a proven fact that helping others actually raises your
own happiness levels.

Short on time but big on heart? Try the "Five-Minute Favor":
Take just a few minutes a day to do something small but with big
benefits to the recipient. This could mean buying a co-worker a cup of
coffee, making it a point to say hello to people you pass in the
hallway, writing an email to thank someone for his or her efforts on a
project, or even retweeting someone or replying to a friend or stranger
with an encouraging comment. It's a small commitment for you, but may
mean a lot to them.

Try extending your altruism outside the office walls, too. Consider volunteering at an organization that means something to you, help others in need, and start getting the feel-good vibes back tenfold.4. Be kind to yourself. Sometimes you need the work equivalent of comfort food to get past yourblue
mood (or, you may just really need some mac n' cheese). It's important
to be kind to yourself and realize that everyone has a bad day now and
then – and we all make clumsy mistakes. Give yourself a break! Consider
treating yourself to a latte from that fancy coffee shop down the street
– and if you're feeling dangerous, maybe even a piece of chocolate
(#noregrets). Schedule a massage so you have something to look forward
to that night or later that week, or make a date to marathon-watch
"Gilmore Girls" or "Arrested Development" to get you out of your funk.
Dive into a good book at lunch (while eating that mac n' cheese), or
spend an extra five minutes dissecting the latest episode of "True
Detective" or chilling out to the latest Beach House album.
Whatever
your happy place, get yourself there, even for a few minutes: It may
just be the indulgence you need to get past that morning's horrors and
face the rest of the day… and then do it all again tomorrow (hopefully
sans Pop-Tart puddle).

Ace the interview by putting yourself on the other side of the table.

Have you ever wondered how hiring authorities go about the process of figuring out who to interview and what to ask
when they meet candidates face to face? Leslie Gurka and Joel Brodsky
can tell you. They have spent their professional careers as educational
leaders in the New York Public School System. Now, they consult schools
systems around the U.S. on a variety of issues, including how to
effectively hire the best teachers and administrators, as part of the
Executive Leadership Institute team.

While
their focus is on the educational system, their concerns, methodology
and insights apply broadly to almost any hiring situation. In order to
whittle down a large group into a manageable pool of candidates, they
initially screen out résumés missing key ingredients, like licensing
credentials. They regularly eliminate candidates whose writing reveals
poor grammar or punctuation, and they critically assess the overall look and format of one's résumé and cover letter or writing sample.

Gurka and Brodsky recently discussed the whole hiring process with me. Below, they describe how they go about figuring out what to ask during interviews and how they ferret out winning from losing candidates:

1. Specifics. After you've been interviewing for any period of time, you can easily spot someone who is out of their depth by their vagueness. Gurka eschews people who are too general in their interviews, and she always wants to know why a candidate is interested in a specific job at a specific time.

She cites a general and unimpressive statement as something like: "This is a wonderful school, and I want to work here to help students." Instead, she looks for what she calls a "business-specific" answer. For example: "I want to work at this school, because it services underprivileged students, it services a wide diversity of students, and it has a focus in the arts."

Tip: Do your research, and be prepared to show that you know something about the employer and to relate that to your abilities and interests in a compelling fashion. Show why you belong in that environment.

2. Team acknowledgement. You might think of a teacher as independent in his or her classroom, just as with so many other roles in America's workplaces. Yet, Gurka is careful to pay attention to the ways people project themselves into the roles they seek. For example, if someone continually says things like "I'm going to do this or that" or "in my last role I did A, B and C," it shows the person is focused more on her own accomplishments than on how she fits into an overall team effort.

Gurka looks for people who give at least a nod to others. You might say: "as part of the faculty, I did ...", "along with my colleagues, I did ..." or "If hired for this job, I'd look forward to contributing to the overall effort by doing ..."

Tip: Of course, you need to identify your strengths, contributions and value. However, you should take pains not to take sole credit for shared accomplishments or for the role you have played in relationship to others.

3. Demonstrated value. "I'm looking for creativity," Brodsky says. "I'm looking for someone who really loves kids and is excited about the job. And lastly, I'm looking for someone who is willing to learn."

He continues: "But, if someone came in and said: 'I love kids, I'm excited about this opportunity, and I'm willing to learn, I would assume its a prepared answer and I would not be impressed." He prefers more creative responses that show the candidate's value, he says, "by bringing up stories that really illustrated how they have these qualities and desires."

Moreover, Gurka isn't about to let someone off the hook by claiming he or she has a passion for something. She follows up by asking: "Tell me something about your past that illustrates the passion you are talking about."

Tip: Spend some time thinking about the role you seek to fill, the values a successful candidate will need to demonstrate and how your past actions have shown you to be that kind of person. Put simply: Show, don't just tell!

4. Unique contributions. "We know that every serious candidate has all the qualifications, so the question that often comes up is: Why should I select you for this particular position compared to the many other candidates?" Gurka says. "I've always asked candidates that question point blank."

She continues: "People who knock that question out of the park are the ones who speak directly to accomplishments and experiences that they've had in the past."

Tip: To be taken seriously, be prepared to authentically speak from your experience. Think about stories to share that demonstrate the value you bring to your next employer. And, most importantly, don't hesitate to share why you want to make a contribution to the team you seek to join.